Shafali Verma breaks into ICC T20I top 4 after Asiad century
Synopsis
Shafali Verma's maiden T20I century at the Asian Games has pushed her into the ICC Women's T20I top four — her highest-ever ranking. The update also sees Pakistan's Ayesha Zafar jump 31 places and South Africa's Miane Smit surge 63 spots after a 5-0 series sweep, making this one of the most dramatic single-update reshuffles in recent women's cricket memory.
Key Takeaways
Shafali Verma climbed to fourth in the ICC Women's T20I Batting Rankings after her maiden T20I century ( 100* ) against Bangladesh at the Asian Games .
Sree Charani retains the No.
1 bowling spot with a rating of 799 ; Deepti Sharma holds second, 70 points back.
Pakistan's Ayesha Zafar jumped 31 places to 40th in batting and nine places to 30th in the all-rounder rankings.
South Africa's Miane Smit surged 63 places to joint- 53rd after a century in the 5-0 series sweep against Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe's Nyasha Gwanzura entered the bowling top 100 for the first time, rising 28 places to 87th .
India's Shafali Verma has climbed to fourth in the ICC Women's T20I Batting Rankings following a standout Asian Games campaign, with multiple players from India, Pakistan, and South Africa registering significant gains in the latest update released on 22 September. The rankings reflect performances through Monday and capture the full impact of both the Asiad and South Africa's dominant series against Zimbabwe.
Shafali's Asiad Heroics Drive Rankings Surge
Shafali's rise was powered by her maiden T20I century — an unbeaten 100 against Bangladesh in the Asian Games semifinal at Nisshin. She had earlier contributed an unbeaten 40 against Japan as India progressed to the final, cementing her place among the format's elite openers. The Indian opener now sits inside the top four globally, her strongest-ever position in the ICC standings.
Pakistan Batters Record Career-Best Ratings
Shawaal Zulfiqar was among the biggest Pakistani movers, surging 16 places to 29th and entering the top 30 for the first time with a career-best rating of 558. She scored 25 in Pakistan's quarterfinal against Indonesia before registering 54 in the semifinal against Sri Lanka.
Teammate Ayesha Zafar made an even more dramatic leap, climbing 31 places to 40th with a career-best 489 rating points after her 71 against Sri Lanka. Zafar also moved nine places to 30th in the T20I all-rounder rankings, underlining her growing value to Pakistan's setup.
India's Bowling Depth Reaffirmed
India continue to dominate the bowling charts. Sree Charani retains the No. 1 position with a rating of 799, while Deepti Sharma holds second place, 70 points behind her teammate. Further down the list, Kranti Gaud rose 15 places to 57th with a career-best 461 points, and Nandani Sharma climbed 22 spots to 72nd at a career-best 432 points.
Pakistan's Sadia Iqbal moved up one place to eighth, while captain Fatima Sana climbed five spots to 24th. Bangladesh's Sanjida Akter Meghla rose five places to joint-49th, and Thailand's Onnicha Kamchomphu advanced six spots to joint-63rd after a three-wicket haul against Pakistan.
South Africa's Zimbabwe Sweep Bears Rankings Fruit
South Africa's comprehensive 5-0 T20I series sweep against Zimbabwe produced some of the largest individual rating jumps in the update. Miane Smit was the standout mover, jumping 63 places to a career-best joint-53rd in the batting rankings after a century in the fourth match.
Series leading run-scorer Anneke Bosch, who amassed 214 runs, climbed eight places to 46th and broke into the top 50. Annerie Dercksen also reached a career-best 179 rating points in the all-rounder rankings, moving to 22nd. Even for Zimbabwe, there was a bright spot: Nyasha Gwanzura rose 28 places to 87th in the bowling rankings — entering the top 100 for the first time — after four wickets and an economy rate of 7.41.
What the Movement Signals
The simultaneous gains by Indian, Pakistani, and South African players highlight how Asian Games and bilateral series have become increasingly consequential for ICC rankings movement. For India, the depth is particularly striking — top-four presence in batting and a clean sweep of the top two bowling spots reflect a squad that is performing consistently across formats and conditions. The next major rankings shift is expected after the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup qualifying rounds.
Point of View
But the broader story here is India's structural depth — holding the top two bowling spots while simultaneously having an opener storm into the batting top four is not routine. The rankings also expose an underreported dynamic: Asian Games performances now carry serious ICC weight, reshaping a tournament that once sat at cricket's periphery. Pakistan's simultaneous gains in both batting and all-rounder charts suggest a squad quietly building parity with the Asian elite, even if their overall team ranking lags. The real question is whether these individual surges translate into collective performance when the Women's T20 World Cup cycle ramps up.
NationPress
22 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What ranking did Shafali Verma achieve in the latest ICC Women's T20I update?
Shafali Verma climbed to fourth in the ICC Women's T20I Batting Rankings following her Asian Games campaign. Her maiden T20I century — an unbeaten 100 against Bangladesh in the semifinal — was the primary driver of her rise.
Who is the top-ranked bowler in ICC Women's T20I rankings?
India's Sree Charani holds the No. 1 position in the ICC Women's T20I Bowling Rankings with a rating of 799. Deepti Sharma is second, 70 points behind her teammate.
Which Pakistan players made the biggest gains in this rankings update?
Ayesha Zafar was the biggest mover for Pakistan, jumping 31 places to 40th in batting with a career-best 489 rating points after scoring 71 against Sri Lanka. Shawaal Zulfiqar also surged 16 places to 29th, entering the top 30 for the first time.
How did South Africa's 5-0 series sweep against Zimbabwe affect the rankings?
South Africa's 5-0 T20I series sweep produced significant ranking gains for their players. Miane Smit jumped 63 places to a career-best joint-53rd after a century, while Anneke Bosch climbed eight places to 46th after scoring 214 series runs to break into the top 50.
What do these rankings reflect and when are they effective from?
The latest ICC Women's T20I rankings take performances through Monday into account, capturing the impact of the Asian Games and South Africa's series against Zimbabwe. The next major shift is expected following upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup qualifying rounds.
